My 13 year old son is now about an inch taller than me. It happened at some point during the past month, and it's very, very strange. I always suspected it would happen, maybe when he was 17 or 18...but at 13?  This is just too soon!

My dad is 6'4", but I stopped at 5'11". There must be some tall gene that passed me by and skipped to my son. At his current rate of growth (6 inches this past year) I estimate that by age 19 he will be exactly 9 feet tall. While this would be interesting, (Take THAT, Robert Wadlow!) and would probably lead to a reality TV show ("Standing Tall!") I think the downside would be the huge expense in custom-made extra-long pants.

Anyway, it seems like it was just a few months ago that I was feeding him in a high-chair, just weeks ago that I could carry him in one of those kid-backpacks. Now, to put my arm around him (as he tries to squirm away) I have to reach UP! I don't know why it makes me a little sad, but it does.

This picture is from a couple months ago, when we were about even. Can you spot my shy daughter in the background?